


As Memory Fades

by rowofstars



Series: S6 Fix-Its [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Episode: s06e16 Mother's Little Helper, F/M, Fix-It, Introspection, Memory of sexual relations, Reasonably Canon Compliant, Relationship Discussions, Sexual Content, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 21:52:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10544932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowofstars/pseuds/rowofstars
Summary: Rumple and Belle and what they were thinking when they were sitting on that couch.From the episode stills for 6x16 Mother's Little Helper.





	

**Author's Note:**

> IDEK. This is basically awful and weirdly present tense. Where I thought I was going with it, I didn't go. I'm sorry.

Belle picks at a bit of lint on her trousers and brushes it away. She got a few strange looks when she showed up at the house in her gray slacks and jacket, and a raised eyebrow from Rumple. But if he can chop off all his hair after three hundred years, she can wear trousers for crying out loud. It does feel a bit weird though.

Rumple sighs as he sits down on the sofa beside her, silence and memories stretching long between them. He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands folded. A moment later she mirrors him, watching as he plays with his ring, twisting it back and forth. Her thumb rubs over her own empty finger as she swallows, the weight in her chest making it hard to breathe.

“It feels strange,” she says finally, “being back here again.”

He glances at her sideways and nods. “It’s - _different_.”

She sighs again. “Very.”

He turns to her with that plaintive look and sad eyes she’s seen far too much of lately. His mouth opens and closes as he tries to decide on the right words. 

“Don’t,” Belle says softly, shaking her head. “I know what you’re going to say, so don’t.”

Rumple huffs and turns his eyes back to the floor.

“I know you’re sorry. I _know_ that, okay?” She waits for him to look at her again and gives him a small smile. “We’re passed that, I think.”

“Are we?” His look is pointed, but after a second or two he averts his eyes and glances around the room. 

“I am,” she says after a minute. There’s enough fault to go around, and they’ve already had that conversation just a couple of days ago, once they got done clinging to each other over the Blue Fairy’s body. And the weirdness of that thought doesn’t even phase her, it’s sort of been par for the course at this point.

“What matters is Gideon. Everything else is -” She waves a hand and then lets it drop back into her lap.

“He’ll be fine.”

Rumple’s eyes are on her again, and she has to force herself to meet them.

“I swear it,” he adds. “I’ll not lose another son. I won’t -”

He stops and presses his lips together. The rest is too much, too heavy to let out, they both understand that. It feels like they are least in the same book now, if not entirely on the same page. She knows his intentions though, and, oddly, trusts in them. They both want their son safe, and for once she doesn’t care how far she has to go.

Her thumb passes back and forth over the velvet fabric, until a thought pops into her head, unbidden. Memories sometimes pick the strangest times to show up, but it makes her smile in spite of the situation.

Rumple frowns. “What?”

She bites her lip and folds her hands as she leans forward. “I was just thinking -” She shrugs, and meets his eyes, smiling slightly.

Belle glances back over her shoulder. Emma and Snow have moved into the hallway, but she lowers her voice to barely a whisper anyway. “We had sex on this couch.”

Her eyebrows lift and her eyes flick down to the space between them. Rumple straightens a bit, his eyes giving the room a slower once over, before settling on Belle. He can’t fight the smirky little grin that curves his lips.

Their eyes meet again and they know exactly what the other is remembering. 

_She was reclined on the daybed near the fire, her hair spread out over one end. The gauzy black lace she wore covered nothing, by design. He put the bolster pillow under her hips and spread her legs wide. Her feet dangled off either side, leaving her completely exposed. She didn’t care, not when her new husband’s mouth was on her, sucking and licking and making her scream. She came twice before he straddled the bench and fucked her, the angle of her hips letting him slide deeper than ever._

“Yes,” he agrees, the tips of his ears flushing red. “We did.”

Belle turns away, feeling her own face heat. Her legs press together as she tries to ignore the small ache between her thighs. Her body remembers even better than her mind. “I know that’s a terrible thing to think about right now, but -”

He laughs lightly, and when she turns back, his eyes are soft and open. She giggles a bit before pressing her fingers over her mouth.

“I’m terrible,” she mutters.

Rumple sighs. “No, you’re not.” 

Belle’s fingers inch their way across the space until she can take his hand. He turns his palm up for her, and she slips hers over his. Tears form in her eyes, surprisingly, and in one movement, she slides over next to him and puts her head on his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry,” she says softly, her voice almost breaking.

Rumple squeezes her hand and dares to drop a quick kiss to the top of her head. “Me too,” he replies.

She looks at him again and gives him a wane smile. Then her eyes shift back to look at the sofa. “This was clearly never our problem.”

He licks his lips and gives a quick shake of his head. “No, it - definitely wasn’t.”

And he understands what she means. It’s not the sex, it’s all of this. Them. The longing, the friendship, the desire. The love. Those things they’re good at. Everything else - well, he supposes that’s mostly his fault.

“Don’t do that,” she chides.

He pulls back a bit to look at her face before settling again. “Do what?”

Belle sighs. “Don’t take it all on yourself,” she says, like she knew exactly what he was thinking. “I’m here too.”

He shifts and puts his arm around her, squeezing her against his side. She reaches for his other hand, the one with his wedding ring, and pulls it into her lap. “I’ve _always_ been here.”

Rumple tenses and swallows. “I know.”

“Then let me _help_.”

Her voice sounds so small, but he feels so much hope and strength in it. She’s going to walk through that portal with him, whether he wants her to or not. She’s going to follow him straight into the darkest place imaginable. It’s for their son, but even so, she’d do it anyway because she’s that bloody brave. 

And stubborn.

“Like _mother_ like son too, apparently,” he mumbles. She swats at his chest and he feigns injury. 

At that moment, Emma comes back in the room. Her face is pale and pensive. “It’s open.”

He looks at Emma and then to Belle.

“I’m going,” she insists, straightening and pulling away.

He nods and stands. “I know.”

The look she gives him is too familiar, a memory he couldn’t forget if he drank fifty potions. Young and brave, covered in corsetry and layers that didn’t fit who she really was. With fists clenched at her sides she told a whole room full of men who would have ordered her life for her exactly where they could shove it. He’d never been more impressed. Or terrified.

Not unlike right now, if he’s honest. And he really has to be that with her.

Rumple exhales and his shoulders straighten, his posture every bit the Dark One. He holds out a hand and moves towards the door, and Belle falls into step beside him.


End file.
